'Cristiano Ronaldo Of Volleyball' Reveals Why He's Different From CR7

A superstar athlete dubbed as the “Cristiano Ronaldo of Volleyball” revealed what makes him different from CR7.

Cuban-born Wilfredo Leon is one of the most decorated volleyball players in the world. In fact, the 6-foot-6 outside hitter is arguably the best volleyball player in the world. Leon has been dominating the sport with his powerful spikes, amazing serves that go along with his incredible jumping ability.

The amount of work and Leon has put in on his game did not go unnoticed. Many in volleyball are now comparing him to Juventus superstar Ronaldo of soccer. In a recent exclusive interview with the Olympic Channel , Leon finally addressed the comparisons and explained how he has developed his winning mentality.

According to Leon, he doesn’t really tag himself as a superstar. In fact, he is trying his best to be as humble as possible.

“Actually, I don’t think of myself (as a superstar) this way. I try to be the most humble and simple person I can be and, if I can, I always try to accommodate requests,” Leon revealed.

The 26-year-old also revealed his thoughts about being compared to a sports icon like Ronaldo. Leon said that he treats it as motivation to continue to be at his best.

“It's a nice comparison. I’m glad that all the work I’ve put in on and off the court is being recognised. This motivates me to continue to do my best,” Leon said about being compared to Ronaldo.

When asked about how similar or different are they, Leon admitted that he doesn’t know much about the Ronaldo’s private life. However, he thinks he’s more “liberal” than the Portuguese star.

“I’ve read that he’s very strict about his sleeping time and food intake. I would say that I like to have more freedom and I don’t put many restrictions on myself. I feel more ‘liberal’, which doesn’t mean that I’m not professional,” Leon explained.

Born in Santiago de Cuba, Leon was a precocious talent, making his debut with the Cuban national senior team at just 14 years old. He is widely known in the sport as the “Lion King.” At 17, Leon became the team's youngest captain and won silver at the World Championships in Italy along with Yoandi Leal and Robertlandy Simon and other players from the so-called “Generation of Miracles.”

In his stellar career, Leon already won the CEV Champions League four times, earned the Most Valuable Player award twice. He is currently spending the global lockdown at home in Warsaw with his wife and two children.